Thursday, September 20, 2012

Kevin Love will be surprised if the Timberwolves don’t make the playoffs this year

We've all watched Kevin Love grow from a gifted rebounder into an All-NBA performer and one of the heroes of Team USA's gold-medal run at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Or, in my case, watched him because he was extra cute. :)

As a result, Love's preseason expectations are at an all-time high. And, even better, he is not afraid to show his hopefulness.

From Kerry Eggers of the Portland, Ore., Tribune:

"It will be a big surprise to me if we didn't make a huge leap this year and make it to the playoffs," the Lake Oswego native told me Wednesday. [...]

"We're going to have a chance to be very good," Love said. "We're hoping Brandon can stay healthy through 82 games. Kirilenko is a big addition. Shved hopefully is going to be a big deal for us.

"We'll have more firepower in terms of veterans. Brandon and Andrei will help our locker room and on the court. It will make Coach Adelman's job a lot easier.

"If everything is put together, if Ricky comes back healthy, we're going to be a force to be reckoned with."